Jumping Up on People

How to Stop a Dangerously Affectionate Behavior

When they’re puppies, you might laugh about this, but when they’re adults, you’ll wish you hadn’t. Dogs who’ve taken to jumping up on people are cute, but it’s annoying to be the target, especially if they won’t stop.

On the other hand, when your dog greets you on all four legs, be warm and affectionate. During the training period, treats are very appropriate for a four-legged greeting.

Redirect his habit by issuing a neutral command such as “sit” when he’s about to greet you. This will be understood by your dog as “sit instead of jumping up.” He’ll fully understand you are teaching him a correction.

Where Did I Learn These Training Methods?

DogProblems.com has taught me so much over the years. Dogs always come with a few quirks, and most dogs eventually develop at least one behavior problem in life. I’m never more than an hour’s reading, away from a fool-proof plan to correct whatever comes up.

Another article that’s served me well is “Stop Dogs From Jumping Up On Strangers,” by Karen Pryor, a leading dog behaviorist and trainer.

Correcting Jumping Up with Big, Strong, Willful Dogs

I’m not going to go into the tougher methods here. I’ve never had to use them – not even with my German Shepherds. I’m not saying it’s always wrong to use a choke chain, but I’ve avoided it with success.

However, I’ll say again that there are annoying jumpers and dangerous ones. DogProblems.com contains plenty of advice on more ways to handle the serious cases using a pinch collar and other tools suited for cases of dominance jumping.

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